Facebook Goes Crazy Over Turtle Sweaters

How one Pet Product News Facebook post’s crazy amount of activity speaks to our love of pets and their worldwide appeal.

By Ellyce Rothrock

In an editorial I wrote last month in relation to Global Pet Expo 2016 in Orlando, Fla., I said “Sometimes at pet industry trade shows one never knows what might happen.”

I’d like to amend that statement to say, “You never know what might happen in the pet industry.”

Case in point: Our Facebook page is an eclectic mix of feel-good stories, pet health research, funny photos and videos, new pet products and news of all things that touch the pet industry. Sometimes the posts I think will get lots of attention don’t and sometimes posts from out of left field receive the most.

Late last week, on Friday afternoon, I posted a cute montage photo of turtles in crochet sweaters with text that reads, “I accidentally Googled turtle sweater instead of turtleneck, but I am glad.” It has everything going for it: herps, cuteness and hilarity.

I was wholly unprepared for and shocked by what happened next: This post, by far, has become the most popular post on Pet Product News’ Facebook page. Ever. As of Monday, April 25, our stats say that this post reached almost 20,000 people, had almost 200 shares, earned 35 likes and spurred excited conversation (international, even!). Upon Googling “turtles in crochet sweaters” turns up almost 635,000 results. Wow. I had no idea, but plenty of other animal lovers did!

Again, a phenomenon like this post (and given its numbers, I think it qualifies as a phenomenon for Pet Product News) illustrates just how popular and beloved pets are worldwide.

It’s been an amazing and interesting learning experience, and one I hope our followers have enjoyed. After all, the point of Pet Product News’ Facebook conversation is to bring all things pet to our followers in an accessible and wide-spectrum format for their education, inspiration, affection and, not least of all, entertainment.